had not long to think about it, before she had brought him to the
summer-house, and introduced him to me.

'My cousin Julian--Miss Crofton.'

He bowed rather stiffly, and then seated himself by his cousin's
side, and put his hat upon the table before him. I had plenty of
time to look at him as he sat there talking of all sorts of things
connected with Thornleigh, and Miss Darrell's friends in that
neighbourhood. He was very good-looking, fair and pale, with regular
well-cut features, and rather fine blue eyes; but I fancied those
clear blue eyes had a cold look, and that there was an expression of
iron will about the mouth and powerful prominent chin. The upper
part of the face was thoughtful, and there were lines already on the
high white forehead, from which the thin straight chestnut hair was
carefully brushed. It was the face of a very clever man, I thought;
but I was not so sure that it was the face of a man I could like, or
whom I should be inclined to trust.

Mr. Stormont had a low pleasant voice and an agreeable manner of
speaking. His way of treating his cousin was half deferential, half
playful; but once, when I looked up suddenly from my work, I seemed
to catch a glimpse of a deeper meaning in the cold blue eyes--a look
of singular intensity fixed on Milly's bright face.

Whatever this look might mean, she was unconscious of it; she went
on talking gaily of Thornleigh and her Thornleigh friends.

'I do so want to come home, Julian,' she said. 'Do you think there
is any hope for me this midsummer?'